Dinner Rock, Powell River BC & MV Gulf Stream Shipwreck – A quiet, beautiful campsite is perched above Malaspina Strait near Dinner Rock Island, between Powell River and Lund, BC. During recent safety upgrades, a number of danger trees were removed. The actual “Dinner Rock” is a small rocky island that lies in sight just off to the south of the campsite. Spend a day or an entire summer season at this spectacular location. The Upper Sunshine Coast, from Saltery Bay to Desolation Sound, boasts approximately 1,900 hours of sunshine annually. Summer temperatures vary from 20 to 30 degrees Celsius while winter temperatures are mild.
View from Camp Site to Dinner Rock ▲
To the northwest of Dinner Rock campsite across Malaspina Strait lies Savary Island, a crescent-shaped island 144 km (89 miles) north-west of Vancouver, BC and 6 km (4 miles) west of Lund on the Sunshine Coast. Home to a highly sensitive ecosystems from sand cliffs to dune meadows and ancient forest dunes, ancient glacial erratic’s are found on the South side of the Island on a low tide.
This pearl of an island, which looks like it floated up from the South Seas, is known as the Hawaii of the North for its mild climate and miles of white sandy beaches. It is about 8 km (5 miles) long and averages just under 1 km (1/2 mile) wide. Low-lying Savary is ideally situated in the rain shadow between Vancouver Island and the Coastal Mountains and unlike most Gulf Islands, Savary runs east-west. The tides moving from the north and south of Georgia Strait meet just north of Savary. The southern tide is warm and the waters move less, which results in generally warmer seas. This water flows over Savary’s sun baked sandy shelf producing the warmest water north of Mexico.
Dinner Rock was the site of a a tragic accident on the night of October 11, 1947. The MV Gulf Stream, a 145-foot passenger vessel in service for Gulf Lines Ltd., was on route from Vancouver to Lund when it drifted off course in poor weather conditions and collided with Dinner Rock Island. The lives of three children and two women were lost in the accident. The vessel hit the rock with such force that it slid up onto the steep shore where it rolled over and partially sank.
1947 – Wrecked on Dinner Rock, Powell River, BC
On Saturday, 11th October 1947, the Gulf Stream was headed upcoast from Vancouver to Lund, BC. Captain John E Craddock, a crew of 21 and 15 passengers were onboard. A strong south-easterly wind was blowing when the Gulf Stream struck the east side of Dinner Rock while on a course between Westview wharf and Mace Point at Savary Island. Due to rough seas and poor visibility, the Gulf Stream was off its course line when it hit the rock and ran up on it about a third of her length and tipped over about 45 degrees. Three children and two women drowned. A harrowing sea rescue managed to saved the lives of 10 passengers. Shortly after, the Gulf Stream slipped off the rock and plunged 120′ down to the bottom, her bow pointing up about 40′ below the surface. Even though her hull was still reasonable intact, no salvage was attempted.
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Motor Vessel Gulf Stream Service History 1915 – Built by George Lawley and Sons, Neponset, MA |
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